One aspect relates to an electrical bushing for use in a housing of an implantable medical device. Moreover, one aspect relates to a method for the manufacture of an electrical bushing for an implantable medical device.
The post-published document, DE 10 2009 035 972, discloses an electrical bushing for an implantable medical device having the features of the preamble of claim 1. Moreover, a use of at least one cermet-including conducting element in an electrical bushing for an implantable medical device and a method for the manufacture of an electrical bushing for an implantable medical device are disclosed.
A multitude of electrical bushings for various applications are known, examples including: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,678,868, 7,564,674 B2, US 2008/0119906 A1, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,145,076 B2, 7,561,917, US 2007/0183118 A1, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,260,434B1, 7,761,165, 7,742,817 B2, 7,736,191 B1, US 2006/0259093 A1, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,274,963 B2, US 2004116976 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 7,794,256, US 2010/0023086 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 7,502,217 B2, 7,706,124 B2, 6,999,818 B2, EP 1754511 A2,7,035,076, EP 1685874 A1, WO 03/073450 A1, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,136,273, 7,765,005, WO 2008/103166 A1, US 2008/0269831, U.S. Pat. No. 7,174,219 B2, WO 2004/110555 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 7,720,538 B2, WO 2010/091435, US 2010/0258342 A1, US 2001/0013756 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 4,315,054, and EP 0877400.
DE 697 297 19 T2 describes an electrical bushing for an active implantable medical device—also called implantable device or therapeutic device. Electrical bushings of this type serve to establish electrical connection between a hermetically sealed interior and an exterior of the therapeutic device. Known implantable therapeutic devices are cardiac pacemakers or defibrillators, which usually include a hermetically sealed metal housing which is provided with a connection body, also called header, on one side. Said connection body includes a hollow space having at least one connection socket that serves for connecting electrode leads. In this context, the connection socket includes electrical contacts in order to electrically connect electrode leads to the control electronics on the interior of the housing of the implantable therapeutic device. Hermetic sealing with respect to a surrounding is an essential prerequisite of a corresponding electrical bushing. Therefore, lead wires that are introduced into an electrically insulating base body—also called signal-transmission elements—through which the electrical signals are propagated, must be introduced into the base body such as to be free of gaps. In this context, it has proven to be challenging that the lead wires generally are made of a metal and are introduced into a ceramic base body. In order to ensure durable connection between the two elements, the internal surface of a through-opening—also called openings—in the base body is metallized in order to attach the lead wires by soldering. However, the metallization has proven to be difficult to apply in the through-opening. Only cost-intensive procedures ensure homogeneous metallization of the internal surface of the bore hole—and thus a hermetically sealed connection of the lead wires to the base body by soldering. The soldering process itself requires additional components, such as solder rings. Moreover, the process of connecting the lead wires to the previously metallized insulators utilizing the solder rings is a process that is laborious and difficult to automate.
For these and other reasons there is a need for the present invention.